Every smile matters: A child's charity

By Kate Corbett

As a parent in this digital world it can be hard to protect kids from coming across disturbing images. But one Canberra family has taken this conundrum to a different level. It all started when pre-schooler Cooper Stott-Peculis came across an ABC documentary on his mum's digital tablet.

He's only just turned five but Cooper already has a social conscience.

"I've been organising a charity for kids in Africa, they have a disease called Noma and it eats away half of their face," he said.

Earlier this year, Cooper came across an image of smiling children on his mum Rachael Stott's digital tablet and asked if he could watch the documentary attached.

It turned out to be about children in Africa facing a horrifying disease.

Harrowing images

Noma is a type of gangrene that ravages mucous membranes in the face, particularly the mouth and cheek.

The victims of Noma are mainly poverty-stricken, malnourished children and many are left with severely disfigured faces.

Moved by the graphic images of this disease, Cooper decided he wanted to help.

"He stole a butter knife and hacked into his piggy bank to try to get all of the money out to save the kids and send doctors over there to help them," Rachael Stott said.

There wasn't quite enough in the piggy bank to make much of a difference so, with the help of his parents, Cooper started a charity which he named Every Smile Matters.

"They're poor and they can't smile and I want them to," Cooper said about the affected children.

Wear what makes you smile

On July 3, Cooper pulled together his fellow students at Macquarie Primary School for Wear What Makes You Smile Day, where participants were asked to bring in a gold coin donation.

From fluffy dressing gowns to sparkly halos - most of the students dressed up in things that made them smile.

Macquarie Primary School principal Wendy Cave welcomed Cooper's passion and was right in the spirit of the day, dressing up with a big smile in her own wedding dress from 1990.

"One of the guiding principles that guides our teachers is that laughing children learn and in this case it's so beautiful because they are learning about something that is important for our world, they're learning about being citizens and taking action towards causes and it is certainly lots of fun," she said.

The day raised $404.40 for Cooper's charity and every little bit counts towards his ultimate goal of raising $115,000.

For more detail on Cooper's vision, check out his website at www.everysmilematters.com.au.